Way Back When
by starshwer
Summary: The relationship of House, Cuddy, and Wilson before the show.  Not any type of relationship, but I've decided it's a prequel to my story Cuddy's Little Dilemma
1. Chapter 1

Lisa Cuddy was trying to study anatomy. She had all of her books spread out over her bed and was desperately look up terms, trying to make it all make sense. Then, she heard the front door shut and inwardly she groaned. She could hear murmuring voices and giggling and the clink of glasses. Anna was back...with the current fling of the week, Mark. As the sounds grew louder, Lisa came to the realization that she was not going to be able to concentrate. She needed quiet, perfect quiet and when the stereo blared on, she collapsed onto her bed. She quickly colleted the books she'd need. Hastily, but silently, she crept through the living room trying very hard not to look at the couch.

When she reached the library she felt like groaning again. Everyone was studying for mid-terms and there wasn't an empty table in sight. She glanced around the room and noticed a man sitting at only half a table. She walked over to the empty chair and whispered, "May I sit here?" He nodded and she sat down and opened her books.

_house_

Greg noticed her when she first walked in. She wasn't quite his type, but there was no denying she was pretty; willowy with long, curly dark hair and green-blue eyes. When she walked over to her table he was pleased. He watched her out of the corner of his eye as she poured over her books, obviously struggling.

When they both got up at the same time to leave, they were embarrassed. They walked through the library in silence and as the doors shut behind them, she stuck out her hand, "Lisa Cuddy."

He smiled at her forwardness, "Gregory House, but..."

She cut him off, "But I can call you Greg?"

"Everybody does."

"Well, it was nice meeting you Gregory, but everybody calls you Greg."

He chuckled, "Likewise."

"Maybe I'll see you around."

"Maybe you will."

Greg watched her walk off into the crisp sunshine. He'd have to keep an eye out for her.

_house_

Lisa sat in the second to last row of the large classroom. She was trying to not fall asleep and had resorted to making a grocery list in her head. _"Bread, toilet paper, sticky notes, milk, ah screw it!"_ A glance at the clock told her she still had 45 minutes. With a silent groan she tried to pay attention, but the professor's monotone voice had placed her back in a stupor. Finally, she started studying her fellow students. The preppy girl, who was painting her nails, was going to get pregnant and never graduate. Junkie boy would drift away. Kid who is actually paying attention will graduate but only date nerd girls and not get invited to parties. Brownish-blonde guy passing notes to...she paused. It was that guy from the library. She'd recognize those blue-grey eyes anywhere. Lisa watched him pass a note to the guy sitting by him, who snickered and then passed a note back. She searched around for his name, _"Something weird...House! And first name is...Greg! Greg House."_ Lisa watched the two guys passing notes for the rest of the class. When the class finally ended, they picked up their bags and walked out of the class together.

The next time Lisa had that class, she got there early and watche dfor him. This time he walked in alone. He obviously looked for his friend, and when he didn't see him, Greg started looking for a place to sit. When he noticed that hte seat next to her was empty he caught her eye. Lisa nodded and he came over by her. As the class continued ot filter in, the two students sat in silence. Finally, Greg turned to her and said, "It's Lisa right?"

"Right." She smiled, "And you're Greg."

"Right." He grinned back. They fell back into silence, although it was less awkward this time.

As the professor started to lecture, half the class fell asleep, and the other half stopped paying attention. Greg wrote on his note book and pushed it over to her, "I can't believe how boring this class is!"

She smiled and wrote back, "I know. I'm not sure how I'm going to pass the final. I can't pay attention."

He wrote back, "If he didn't take attendance I wouldn't be here. All the information is in the book."

"Really?"

"Yeah, Jimmy and I took notes the first few classes, and then we realized it's all there."

"Well that's a relief. Is that your friend's name? Jimmy?"

Greg nodded.

"Where is he?"  
"I have no idea. He usually meets me here."

"That's odd."  
"Yeah. After class I'm going to go home and see if he's there."

"You're roommates?"  
"Yeah."

Did you know each other from back home?"  
"No. We met our first year here."  
"What year are you?"

"Third. What year are you?"  
"First."  
Their written conversation continued through the rest of the class.

After class ended, the two students walked out into the hallway together.

"So, I'll see you in class next time?"

"Yeah." She replied with a grin. "I'll see you then."

As Greg walked away he glanced over his shoulder at her and grinned.

A/N: I am currently without internet at my apartment, but I try to get to the library as often as possible, so I can't make any promises! Also, I have a major case of writer's block, but I'm working through it. As always...review!


	2. Chapter 2

The next time their class rolled around, Greg came in and sat by Lisa. When Jimmy walked in he looked slightly confused.

After making proper introductions, the three just sat there in silence. Once the lecture started, the awkwardness melted away. They started up a game of hang-man and because Greg was in the middle he got to pick the message. First it was "Jimmy smells like cheese." Then "Jimmy wets the bed." Then, "Jimmy is a transvestite." Then, because Jimmy hit him, "Lisa has pretty eyes," which made her blush; "Greg is awesome," which made them laugh; and "This class stinks worse than decomposing mule vomit." By this point Lisa was silently laughing so hard she couldn't breathe. Luckily, the class ended soon after that.

As the three students exited the classroom, Jimmy discreetly hit Greg on the shoulder. Greg turned to Lisa, "So Lisa, it's Friday, and normally Jimmy and I go to this bar...do you wanna come?"

She smiled slightly at his blunt approach. "If you guys don't mind..."

Greg and Jimmy exchanged a look and Greg started to chuckle. "Do you really think we'll mind going out with a girl as hot as you?"

A slight blush covered Lisa's cheeks as she ducked her head. "You think I'm hot?"  
"Yeah!" The boys chorused.

"Oh." She looked down at the sidewalk in front of her.

"Is that a bad thing?" Greg asked, looking worried.

"No." She paused, "I just didn't think you guys thought of me like that."

Greg chuckled again, "We'll pick up at 6, alright?" 

_Three months later_

Lisa lay on her bed next to the open window listening to the rain. A storm had moved in bringing thunder, lightning, and pounding rain. It had also caused the night to be inky black.

Greg had lost sight of the road a few times while dropping her off, the rain was so bad. She had insisted that the boys stay the night at her place rather than risk driving home across town. Anna was gone of the weekend with her boyfriend of the week. Even if Anna had been there, she wouldn't have minded. Hell, she'd probably ended up sleeping with one of them.

So now Lisa lay with only a wall between her and the only two guys she'd ever been close to. She hadn't dated much in high school, just a few casual dates, and since graduating, she hadn't dated at all. Over the past few months the boys had managed to extract that fact from her, and she knew they were planning something.

This night when she had come back to the table from the bathroom, the two boys had been earnestly talking. As Jimmy noticed her weaving her way between the small tables, he abruptly sat back in his chair and shut his mouth. Greg quickly looked over and followed suit.

When she questioned them, they made up some story about a hot blonde. Lisa had let it go at the time. What she didn't know was Jimmy and Greg had resumed their conversation on her living room floor.

"Do you think he's really right for her?

Greg propped himself upon once elbow. "I think Erik is perfect. Now we just have to figure out how to get her to go out with him."

Jimmy stared at the dark ceiling, "What if we invited him out for drinks with us while Lisa is there?"

Greg grinned, "Jimmy, you're a genius."

---House---

The next week when Jimmy came up to the door to get her, he stopped for a moment and asked, "Is that what you're wearing?"

Lisa paused, "Excuse me?"

He blinked, "I just mean, maybe you should wear those brown boots instead."

She gaped at him for a few seconds and then turned and went to change.

As they walked into the bar Greg didn't head for their usual table in the corner, but instead he headed for a booth by the door. As they slid into the benches Lisa crossed her arms, "What's going on?"

The boys exchanged a look. "What do you mean?" Greg asked, the picture of innocence.

"I mean that you two have been planning something, and I want to know what it is."

They exchanged another look. "Well..." Jimmy started.

"You see," continued Greg, "we kind of arranged for a friend of ours to meet you here."

"What?"

"We wanted us to set him up with someone...and you're his type, and available."

"I don't like blind dates, and I especially don't like not knowing I'm being set up."

The boys once again exchanged a look and this time Jimmy leaned forward. "We just asked him to come have drinks with us. We'll be here the whole time."

Lisa snorted and started fussing with the napkin on the table. "I can't believe you two...I just...it's nice and everything, but...could you have warned me?"

They both laughed and then Greg's eyes flickered to the door.

"Here he is."

Lisa instinctively tensed as Greg raised a hand to wave. Next thing she knew, she was being introduced to Erik. Tall, dark, melt-in-your-boots handsome, Erik. Seeing her reaction, Greg and Jimmy silently high-fived under the table and declared the introduction a success.

---House---

Greg called her the next day, "What do you think?"

"Well..." She paused.

He outright laughed, "I saw your face. You like him!"

Lisa had to chuckle, "Just promise me you'll never set me up again."

Greg snorted, "Hopefully, I won't need to."

"Greg!"

"What?"

"What's that supposed to mean?"  
"Well, if you and Erik really hit it off, Jimmy and I won't need to set you up on dates."

"I can't believe you're even thinking like that. Normal guys don't think like that.

"I'm not your typical guy."

"That's for certain."


	3. Chapter 3

Jimmy walked into the bar with an eye out for Greg and instead found Lisa and Erik looking very cozy in their usual booth. With a smile she waved him over and he slid into the padded seat across from the couple.

"I'm looking for Greg."

"We figured. It's Friday night, why else would you be here?"  
"I could be on a date." He leaned back slightly indignant.

Lisa and Erik exchanged a look. "You and Greg come here every Friday. Saturday is date night, and usually with a girl you met here on Friday. Sunday night is break-up with the girl you met Friday night. You two are easy."

Jimmy opened his mouth and then shut it again. He hated it when she was right.

At that moment Greg came flying in, quickly located them and flopped down, looking flushed and excited. "Guess what?

"What?" Jimmy and Lisa echoed, and she hastily followed with "Jinx! You owe me a beer!" Jimmy looked forlorn and Erik laughed turning to Greg.

"You got laid?"  
"Yesterday, yes. But today...the lacrosse team rosters came out."

"And?" Lisa leaned forward.

He paused for dramatic effect. "First string."

Erik chuckled. "Big surprise. It's only your third year, first string."

Two beers were placed on the table and Jimmy slid the one in front of Greg, and the other in front of Lisa. No one had even noticed him signaling for them. She smiled coyly at him and he turned to Greg.

"Was there any doubt?"

"Well," he took a swig of his beer, "we did have a lot of new guys trying out, and they were pretty good, but enough guys graduated last year, so it all came out in the wash."

"They were only 'pretty good?'" Lisa smiled at him.

"Yes, only 'pretty.' None of them are up for co-captain."

"Really?" Jimmy and Lisa echoed together. Only this time he jumped in with "Jinx! You owe me a beer!" She scowled at him, but he only smiled back.

Erik chuckled at the two and turned back to Greg, "Who else is up?"

"Jerry Brown, Tim O'Neal, and Sydney Connelly."

"Jerry is a spaz and so is Sydney. It's going to be you and Tim, for sure."

"I don't think so. Sydney is definitely up for a spot."

"And why is that?"  
"Because he's been kissing Mike's ass since last semester. Mike is not going to give it to Tim, who water-ballooned his car in October."

Jimmy chuckled 'That was a good day..."

"Yeah it was." Greg agreed. "Remember how we were hiding around that building when he came out?"

"And he sees his wet car..." Jimmy lapsed into laughter as Greg finished his sentence.

"With the wet balloon pieces?"  
"And the flour?"  
By this point they were both laughing hysterically.

Lisa and Erik just had to laugh at the two boys who were nearly driven to tears by a memory.

As Lisa signaled for another round, Greg and Jimmy finally started breathing again.

"Anyway," Greg continued, "Mike is not going to choose Tim, the Horrible Car Bomber, over Sydney, Mr. Give-You-My-Brain-if-You-Wanted-It."

When the beers were placed on the table, Jimmy winked at Lisa and she turned to Greg, "How did Mike know it was Tim?"

"There was a slight accident when we were bombing his car, in which certain items made contact with Tim, thus making him identifiable when Mike went looking for the culprits."

"And who was it who marked Tim?" Erik asked, one eyebrow skewed.

Greg coughed and made some noncommittal mutterings while the other three laughed.

Within a week it was announced that Greg and Sydney were to be co-captains on the school's Lacrosse team.

Friday nights were spent in the bar, and every Saturday afternoon out on the field watching Greg kick ass.

Other than that, their lives continued in the same way, until one fateful Friday afternoon...

A/N: I don't like this chapter, I was just trying to get House on the Lacrosse team and then on to the next chapter! Sorry, I've got to finish it before I can post!


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Sorry about the cliffhanger ending on the last chapter, it was just the best way to get into this one. So read on! And review!

Greg knocked on her door. When she called for him to come in, he opened it and stuck his head into her living room. Puzzled that she wasn't on the couch he walked into the shared bedroom and found her sitting on her bed, staring at her hands. "Hey." He said with a grin.

"Hey." He could tell she was trying to be upbeat.

"What's going on?"  
"Nothing."

"Lisa."

She sighed. "Erik and I broke up."  
"Oh." He sat down next to her on the bed. "Why?"  
"I don't really want to talk about it."

"Okay." He got up and started walking around the room looking at everything. "Did you break up with him, or did he break up with you?"  
"I ended it."

"Ah." He was walking along reading all the titles of her books. "He must have done something really god-awful for you to break up with him. You were pretty smitten there for a while. I mean just two days ago..." As he turned and looked at her he realized Lisa's whole face had crumpled. "Oh, Lisa."

"I'm sorry. I just can't help it."

"Is this the first time you've cried about this?"

"Yes."

He sat down next to her and put his arm around her. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that. It was pretty insensitive of me to bring up how much you liked him right after you broke up with him." She buried her face in his shoulder. "Have you called your mom?"

"No. I don't want to bother her."

"Trust me, she wouldn't think you were bothering her. She'd understand."

"I know, I just can't make myself do it. I don't want to admit it to her just yet."

"Why not?"  
"I'm ashamed of the whole situation."

"Why?"

"He, uh...he, kind of...you know...um..."

Greg pulled away slightly. "Cheated on you?"  
She turned away from him and buried her face in her hands with a muffled, "mmhmm."

Greg stood up and started pacing the space between the two beds, "That rat bastard!" He ran a hand through his hair, "I can't believe he did that!"

"It's not your fault Greg." Lisa finally looked up at him, watching him walk around the room.

"But if I hadn't ever introduced you..."

"Greg! It's really not your fault." She sighed and looked down at the floor. "I don't even know who the girl is."

He stopped and knelt down in front of her. "Then how did you find out?"

She sighed again, "I found her underwear in his room."

"Well...that doesn't mean..."

Lisa cut him off, "And her bra on a lamp in the living room, and a condom in the bathroom trash, two coffee cups in the sink, 3 cigarette butts in a saucer, an empty bottle of wine on the coffee table, and an empty bottle of tequila on the nightstand. Erik lives alone, so unless somebody broke into his apartment and had sex, there's no other way to explain it."

He sat back and looked up at the brunette. "I'm sorry Lisa, if I hadn't introduced you guys, none of this would have happened."  
She chuckled slightly, "You meant well."

He chuckled too, "I'm still sorry."

"I know." Lisa slid down onto the floor with him and Greg wrapped his arms around her.

"So are you coming out with Jimmy and me tonight?"  
Laughing, she pulled away, "Yeah, I'll be there."

---House---

The three had reclaimed their table in the back corner by the bar, rather than the booth they had been sitting at before; the trio was oddly silent this evening. Lisa was intent on peeling the label off her beer bottle, Jimmy was staring at the mirror over the beer, while Greg watched the people in the bar. Finally, Greg spoke, "I can't believe he did that!"

Jimmy groaned and put his head on the table, while Lisa closed her eyes momentarily. "Greg, there was no way you could have known."  
"Yeah but..."

"Seriously!" Lisa was finally losing it.

"Come on Greg." Jimmy sighed, sat up and put his hands over his face. "The only person getting blamed in this situation is Erik and the skank he slept with. None of us are at fault, not for setting Lisa and Erik up, not for dating Erik, not for trusting Erik, none of it. Alright? Everybody good now?"

All three sighed, and returned to their previous positions.

---House---

When Lisa got home from the bar that night there was a message on the answering machine from Erik, asking her to call him. She forced herself to wait until the next morning and reluctantly dialed the number she knew by heart. He picked up on the first ring and she knew he had been waiting by the phone. The first words out of her mouth were, "What?"

He paused, "I need to talk with you."

"We're talking now."

"No, face-to-face. I really need to see you."

"Erik..."

"Listen Lisa, I need to tell you some things, and it can't be over the phone."

"Erik..."

"Please Lisa. Please."

She hesitated just long enough that he knew she was giving in. "Please."

"Thirty minutes Erik. That's all the time you're getting from me."

"Meet me at the diner, tonight, 6:30. I get off work just before that."

"Fine."

---

Lisa made sure she was late to the diner, rolling in at 6:45. As was proper in the cheated-on girlfriend role, she looked fabulous. She took slight pride in his nervous look as she floated into the seat opposite him. He fidgeted with his napkin, "Do you want to order anything?"

"No. I want to leave."

"Fair enough." The tension was thick enough to cut. "I need to tell you something."  
"Apparently."

"About the girl who I..."

"I don't want to know." Lisa's calm slipped slightly. "I don't want to know anything about that skank."

"But..."  
"No!" She rose slightly from her seat, ready to leave as he grabbed her wrist.

"Please? Hear me out?"

She slightly pursed her lips in a look that would be perfected by the time House worked at her hospital. "What did you want to tell me?"

"I think you should know that I never meant to do this. I never meant to hurt you."

She sighed, "Get on with it Erik, or I'm leaving."

He fidget for a few seconds before blurting out, "I slept with Anna."

All of the sudden, she couldn't breathe. "Anna."

"Yeah..."

"My roommate, Anna."

"Yeah..."

Ever so slowly the blood drained out of her face. "I...I don't...I need to go."

"Lisa." She got up and fled the diner, walking down the street to the bar, where Jimmy found her.

He sat on the bar stool next to her, and asked for a beer. He took in the empty shot glasses sitting in front her and sighed, "Hard night?"

"I talked to Erik."

"Well that's reason enough for hard liquor. How many have you had?"

"I lost count."

"Lisa..."

"He slept with Anna."

"Your roommate?"

"Yup, my roommate." She threw down the shot in front of her.

"Seriously, how many have you had?"

"Ten, eleven, something like that."

"Lisa, you really shouldn't be drowning your feelings..."

"Jimmy."

"Yes?"

"Shut up, and join me." She motioned for two more shots and after they were set down, she popped one.

Jimmy sighed and then threw it down gasping at the burn. It was going to be a long evening.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: I can't believe it has taken me so long to update! I had the first part of this chapter written for ages, and couldn't decide how to finish it. I promise I'll be better. I'm already partway through the next chapter, hopefully I'll be able to concentrate. Curse you school!

Lisa yawned and cracked her eyes open, rolling over. As the bright light pierced her sensitive eyes she shut them again with a groan. With eyes closed she evaluated that she was in fact naked, wrapped in a blanket, lying on carpet. She tried again, with the same results, except this time she saw something that surprised her. Lisa slowly opened her eyes a slit and confirmed that she was in a very familiar living room, with a very familiar couch.

"Good morning."

Lisa groaned and sat up, rubbing a hand over her face, while still managing to keep the blanket over her. "Don't breathe so loud."

"Somebody is way hung-over." Jimmy sat down on the couch with a grin.

"I'm not hung-over, I just feel like someone stuck a hot poker in my head."

"That's hung-over sweetheart. Do you want some breakfast?"

"What time is it?"

"10:30. You'll do better with something in your stomach. Pancakes sound good?"

He got up and started his way back to the kitchen.

"Jimmy?"

"Yeah?"

"Last night is kind of hazy. I remember _a lot_ of shots, a hilarious taxi ride, and then we...did we?"

"We did. So how do pancakes sound?"

She chuckled slightly, "Pancakes sound fantastic."

Jimmy came back in with two plates, and they sat their in silence eating.

"So…" Lisa shifted on the couch and readjusted the blanket around her, "what exactly is going to happen now?"

He collected their plates, "I'm going to do the dishes."  
"Jimmy?"

"I don't want to…"

"I need to know!"

He stopped, his back still toward her. "I can't talk about this while you're sitting naked in my living room.

She blushed pulling the blanket up a little higher. "I guess I'll get dressed then."

He turned to her, a smile on his face. "Why don't you take a shower too? This conversation can wait that long."

She paused in the doorway for a moment before turning back to him. "You know Jimmy, I always thought you were the less suave out of you two. But you really are better than Greg."

"Go take a shower."

House

Lisa came back into the living room, her wet hair braided, to find Jimmy sitting on the couch reading a textbook. She flopped down on the floor in front of him and propped her feet up next to his. "So…"

He closed the book with a snap. "So."

"Last night was…"

"Crazy."

"Absolutely insane."

"Totally unlike us."

"Totally."

The pair fell silent for a moment.

Lisa looked back at him. "So, last night should never…"

"Never."

"Ever."

"Ever."

"Okay."

"Yeah."

"And we're not going to tell Greg?"

"No."

"No, of course not."

"He definitely doesn't need to know."

"He'll just make fun of us at every possible time."

"Yeah."

"Yeah."

"Good."

"Yeah."

"Yeah."

"Stop saying 'yeah.'"

"Sorry."

"It's okay."

"Yeah."

"Jimmy!"

He laughed as she threw a pillow from the floor at him, and threw it back.

As the laughter subsided, Lisa sighed. "This isn't going to screw up our friendship, is it?"

Jimmy looked at her for a long moment before shaking his head, "no, it's not."

She smiled at him. "Good."

At that moment Greg came bouncing in, "Good what?"

The two exchanged a glance, then Jimmy said, "Good to have you back."

"It's good to be back." Greg flopped into the chair. "So, what have you two been up to this weekend?"

Another look was exchanged, "Nothing." They chimed.


End file.
